Robert M. Erickson

Known by the nicknames of Swede and Froley, Erickson was born in Youngstown,
Ohio, on June 8, 1917 and moved to Jamestown when he was 4.
Erickson played basketball at Jefferson Junior High School in 1933 and 1934 and then
had an outstanding career in football and basketball at Jamestown High School in 1935
and 1936. He played for coach Denton Moon in both sports.
He was captain and high scorer in basketball and was an All-Western New York
selection in football as an end.

In non-related school activities in the 1930s, Erickson played football for Ariel
Athletic Club. He also helped Art Metal Construction win the YMCA basketball
championship in 1937-1938 and was a softball pitcher for Jamestown Moose and
baseball pitcher for the Nordic Temple.

While playing in the YMCA toumament, Erickson was approached by Syracuse
University, which had been scouting him in both basketball and football. He accepted
a scholarship to Syracuse and was then sent to Folk Union Military Academy in
Virginia.

He excelled in his one year at Folk Union Military Academy, considered one of the top prep schools in the
country. He was named an all-state end in football and an all-state forward in basketball
while winning state titles in both sports.

During the post-season in basketball, Folk Union played Durham High School in the
finals of the Washington & Lee University Southern Atlantic Prep Tournament in
Lexington, Virginia, and lost one of their few games to a team that had won around 60
straight contests. Among the players for Durham was Bones McKinney, who was a very successful
coach at Wake Forest.

Erickson decided to go to Richmond University in the fall of 1939 where he played
four years of football and basketball for the Spiders and made quite a name for himself.
He also won the freshman class senatorship and was named to the all-state freshman
basketball team.

Erickson was captain of the basketball team in 1942-1943 when he was a senior and the
Spiders scored a big upset of Washington & Lee, 45-36, that knocked the latter
out of the Big 6 Championship. Erickson tossed in 13 points to lead the way.

He was always one of the top scorers on the basketball team during his career and during
his junior campaign scored 181 points in 19 games. He received honorable mention
all-state recognition.

During the 1941 football season, Erickson and Richmond were matched up against
North Carolina State, which had Ray Benbenek of Jamestown on its team.

Robert "Swede" Erickson, back row right, coach of the Franklin & Marshall swimming team 1945

One of his football highlights was a pass he caught in Richmond's 14-13 win over North
Carolina in 1940.

Erickson served in the United States Navy in Gene Tunney's Fitness Program from
November 1943 through April 1946 and was a First Class Petty Officer.
He was captain and high scorer for Philadelphia Naval Hospital basketball team in
1946.

Additionally, he coached junior varsity football at Cardinal McCaskey in Lancaster and
coached the Franklin & Marshall College swim teams.

On June 28, 1946, J.D. Holahan of the Pittsburgh Steelers sent a letter to Erickson
advising him to attend the training camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on August 5. Unfortunately, an
injury suffered in softball that summer kept him from getting that opportunity to try out
for the Steelers and a shot at making the National Football League.

Among the volunteer work that Erickson was involved in was to raise money for the
Duke University Children's Hospital. Also he was involved with the Sertoma Club.
Erickson also played semi-pro basketball for the Richmond Barons, comprised of
players from various Virginia colleges.

Robert M. Erickson was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He died in 2011.